Digital maps and wayfinding systems are interactive navigational aids that provide scalable maps and that recommend navigation paths. Maps used by these systems include a number of objects or symbols to represent well-known locations, such as airports, hospitals, and the like. Many also show a symbol to represent a specific location requested by a user, which may include an endpoint, a start point and significant intermediate points for a route (e.g., intersections along the route). Wayfinding maps often provide navigation instructions via a small-scale map showing a recommended path for a particular journey, as well as optional large-scale turn-by-turn maps showing, in detail, significant intermediate points of the journey.
Wayfinding digital maps that indicate a user's current location are additionally known. These maps may take advantage of global positioning system (GPS) technology to show a user's current location on the digital map. These maps are often used as navigation aids, such as for a person driving an automobile, boat, or airplane. They generally include an indicator showing the user's present location and the direction of travel. These maps may also include common symbols representing the location of airports, hospitals, and the like.
Various improvements on interactive digital maps and wayfinding maps have been proposed. One improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,734 to Riku Suomela, which describes an interactive digital map that displays landmarks and prominent features, and which may display locations known to a user. The digital map has two scales, which includes a detail area having a first scale located in a substantially central portion of the map and an object area having a second scale located in a peripheral portion of the map. Objects are shown in the object area oriented with respect to the detail area. The objects represent geographic locations of interest such as landmarks and other prominent features. The objects may also represent known locations saved by the user on a device that displays the map. The objects are located in a peripheral portion of the map and assist the user with maintaining his orientation as he navigates a route or learns a new location.
Another improvement is discussed in International Patent Application No. PCT/IB02/05522 to Räsänen et al., published as International Publication No. WO 03/054654, which is hereby incorporated by reference. As disclosed therein, location information of a mobile wireless device may be used to determine a Novelty Index Value (NIV) of the mobile wireless device at its present location, which indicates how novel it is for the wireless device to be within a certain geographical area that includes the present location. The NIV may be stored in a database of NIVs and used with context information to compute various results for a user (e.g., recommend dining activities based on user location and the NIV for the location).
In general, conventional interactive maps and wayfinding systems determine a recommended route between a starting point and a destination, and then display the entire route with optional step-by-step directions for the route. The displayed map may include desired intermediate waypoints, landmarks and/or requested points of interest. The directions for the route and the route itself are provided to the user as a serial route from the selected start point to the selected destination based on a recommended path between the start point and destination. Conventional interactive maps and recommended routes can be displayed on a mobile wireless device and may include a user's current location.